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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29174772">A Legendary Save</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaspre_Rose/pseuds/Jaspre_Rose'>Jaspre_Rose</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Doctor Who, Doctor Who &amp; Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 12:21:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,993</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29174772</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaspre_Rose/pseuds/Jaspre_Rose</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Taking matters into his own hands, Jack Harkness seeks out a version of the Doctor who can save Rose at Canary Wharf and picks out a familiar face. The Ninth Doctor, of course, is going to help. Obviously. He'll always save Rose Tyler. With her rescue comes the realization that both her life and their relationship is going to be drastically different than he ever thought it could be.</p>
<p>Short, little thing set somewhere between "The Deviant Strain" (book by Justin Richards) and the events of "Bad Wolf" and "The Parting of the Ways" (season 1, episodes 12 and 13).</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ninth Doctor/Rose Tyler, Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>91</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Legendary Save</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Upon hearing a triple tap on the front doors of the TARDIS, the Doctor looked up from the center console and frowned suspiciously. He’d only taken two steps over when Jack slipped through and grinned in delight.</p>
<p>“I'm so happy I found you.”</p>
<p>That wasn’t his Jack. He looked much older and his time signature was strange, somehow muddled in his head. It felt wrong.</p>
<p>“Jack…”</p>
<p>“I know what you’re gonna say,” Jack spoke, “but just ignore it for now. I need your help saving Rose.”</p>
<p>He was immediately on the defensive and grabbed his sonic up.</p>
<p>“What’s happened? Where is she?”</p>
<p>“Calm down. It’s not happening with your Rose. It’s future Rose.” The Doctor nodded and relaxed as Jack came closer. He really had to stop himself from taking a step back. That time signature was something else. Something new. “You’re making the face again. Look, I can’t do anything about it so just ignore it. Focus on why I'm here.”</p>
<p>“Right. What’s happened to Rose?”</p>
<p>“Something happened in your future and I need your help saving her, but you can’t remember you do until it’s happening then. The result of our rescue will end up being legendary, but I can’t tell you why.”</p>
<p>“Are you meddling in things you shouldn’t be? Such as fixed events or-”</p>
<p>“No, I'm not. That’s why I'm here. This me had already put these events into motion when I was your me and bad things are gonna happen if we don’t carry on.”</p>
<p>Another nod. “Gotcha. Give me as few details as you can. Just to be safe. I’d hate to meddle for future me's sake despite knowing I shouldn’t.”</p>
<p>“Something real bad’s going on in her time. You both crossed the void at one point, she got covered in void stuff-”</p>
<p>“Excuse me?”</p>
<p>“That’s what you guys called it.”</p>
<p>“Right. Void stuff.” He was sure neither his tone nor expression was very amusing, but Jack clearly was not of the same opinion. “Carry on.”</p>
<p>“Like I said, bad stuff is going on now and the only way to save the world is to lock the bad guys up in the void between universes. Her you is also covered in the void stuff, but you’re not. This you, I mean.”</p>
<p>“Naturally.” The Doctor sighed. “Dire.”</p>
<p>“Yep.”</p>
<p>“And Rose is at risk of being trapped in there, too?”</p>
<p>Jack looked away and nodded. “Her lever slips and then so does she.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, that’s not gonna happen.”</p>
<p>He had no idea what lever he meant, but he understood what the consequences would be.</p>
<p>“Glad we agree.”</p>
<p>The Doctor spent a moment thinking, searching for Rose anywhere in the future, but her future was oddly fuzzy and that was very odd. That didn’t usually happen. Whatever would happen in her future wouldn’t be decided until he made a decision regarding Jack’s request. The TARDIS was being unusually silent, too. Not even a hum from her. Did she know what legendary business Jack was on about?</p>
<p>He could tell he wasn’t telling him the absolute truth, though. If she was at risk of becoming trapped in the void, as he stated, since she was human, her future would diverge to two main paths – alive or dead. She had a future and he suspected the choices were more along the lines of living it in this universe or in a strange one due to circumstances he couldn’t foresee. It took him barely a second to process all of that and to start nodding.</p>
<p>Of course he was going to help. This was Rose Tyler and he would always save her.</p>
<p>“What do we need to do?”</p>
<p>Jack glanced around. “Where am I and Rose?”</p>
<p>“You’re both off doing some shopping. We’re on Kalastrade.”</p>
<p>“Ah.” Jack nodded. “We just left Russia.”</p>
<p>“I'm surprised you remembered that.” He received a shrug and that was curious. “Does something happen here? Should I be worried?”</p>
<p>“Not here and you know I can’t tell you anything so stop being nosy. Besides, not like you’ll remember this later, anyway, so why bother asking in the first place?”</p>
<p>“You’re right.” Despite Rose’s safety, he still managed to crack a smile. “A’right. What are we gonna do ‘bout Rose?”</p>
<p>“Once future you and future Rose pull your levers, anything covered in background radiation is going to be sucked into the void. Like I said, her lever slips and she had to get her lever back in place, but she wasn’t strong enough to fight the pull once it was at full strength again. That’s where you come in. You’ve never gone into the void in this form so you’re safe from the void stuff, which means you’re the one who has to keep her from going into the void with the rest of the crap flying around in there.”</p>
<p>“So I’ve regenerated in that time.”</p>
<p>Jack grimaced. “Shit.”</p>
<p>The Doctor didn’t push. He couldn’t know and wouldn’t remember, anyway, and Rose was a higher priority than what he might look like then.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry ‘bout it. As you just pointed out, I won’t remember you said that once I’ve blocked the memory from my mind. Void’s gonna be strong enough to pull in an entire human?”</p>
<p>“Yeah and worse. You’ll be completely safe, but it will still be dangerous due to everything getting sucked in and flying around.” Jack looked at him seriously. “Doc, I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”</p>
<p>“It’s Rose.” The Doctor rubbed an eyebrow. “How bad is it?”</p>
<p>“Since you’re gonna find out, anyway… Daleks and Cybermen versus the world. Basically.”</p>
<p>“Damn it,” the Doctor muttered. He hung his head and shook it side to side. All that loss during the war was all for nothing in the end. <em>Damn it</em>. No. No, focus. He thought about it a moment. “To be safe, I'm gonna tie myself to the TARDIS and put myself between her and the void.”</p>
<p>“Your TARDIS. She gonna be safe?”</p>
<p>“Perfectly. There’s no way Rose is goin’ into that void, Jack. Not if I have anythin’ to say ‘bout it.”</p>
<p>“Thank God,” Jack sighed. “Let’s head out.”</p>
<p>The Doctor nodded. The moment he arrived, he checked the knots on his rope, opened the door, and stoically ignored the noise. It had already started, then. He needed to hurry. On their way, Jack said Rose wouldn’t have too much time holding onto her lever before it became too much for her.</p>
<p>There was a young-looking pretty boy across the room from Rose and he desperately hoped that wasn’t him, but the terrified look on his face told him enough. Damn. Running at a crouch, he hurried to Rose’s side mere seconds after she let go of a bar to lock a nearby lever back into place. How could he have been so stupid not to <em>tie </em>her to something?</p>
<p>Rose’s body lifted into the air, parallel to the ground, and he heard himself yelling at him to get out of there and for Rose to hold on. Had it been so long since he’d been in this body that he didn’t recognize himself? After shooting himself an incredulous look, he launched himself at Rose, completely ignoring the Daleks flying passed him, and felt her legs wrap around his waist. He hurriedly covered her body with his own and found a handhold on the base of the lever in front of him when the void continued trying to suck Rose in, lifting their bodies a little off the floor and scooting them backwards a bit.</p>
<p>Rose was holding onto him tightly, her arms and legs locked around his torso and her head pressed into his chest, and he couldn’t stop himself from tightening his free arm around her. Just to be safe.</p>
<p>Abruptly, the noise stopped and they dropped back onto the floor in a heap. He immediately pushed himself up from her body and Rose unlocked her legs from his hips. She was already grinning when he looked down to check her over.</p>
<p>“I knew I recognized the smell of that leather.” She yanked him down for a rather intimate version of a hug, their bodies flush together, and pressed several kisses to his cheeks and nose. “Don’t know why you’re here, but I'm so so so happy you are.”</p>
<p>“Was here to save ya. Obviously.” The Doctor pushed himself up, climbed to his feet, and pulled Rose up. “Y’okay? Anythin’ hurt?”</p>
<p>“I'm fantastic,” she said, her eyes glittering. He chuckled and nodded. Alright. Sassy woman. “How did you know?”</p>
<p>“Yes,” the pretty boy said. “I’d like to know, as well.”</p>
<p>“Jack paid me a visit.” The Doctor looked over his future self and frowned. “You look like a kid.”</p>
<p>“I think you look handsome.”</p>
<p>His future self pointed at Rose and he snickered as he looked at Rose himself.</p>
<p>“You and pretty boys, I swear.”</p>
<p>She gave him a beautiful grin and then stretched onto her toes to kiss his lips. It was just a quick, grateful sort of kiss, but it still surprised him. Not so much his future self, though, and that was intriguing. Something clicked in his head when Rose then hugged him. Rather, something connected in his head and, breathing quickly, he realized that was Rose. He could feel <em>her</em>, her life, her terrifyingly long life.</p>
<p>When had that happened? <em>HOW</em> had that happened? Speechless, he could only stare at her and then his future self. No one gave him an explanation for the question he couldn’t find the words to ask. Rather rude of them. Not that they could have answered it, but they could have said something.</p>
<p>“Oh,” the other him chuckled. “This must be what happened. I remember inexplicably feeling like a changed man. Are your Rose and Jack on Kalastrade by any chance?”</p>
<p>Rose grinned widely at his future self and after frowning at her, he nodded.</p>
<p>“Yeah, they are. Why?”</p>
<p>His future self laughed outright and looked at Rose, who seemed to realize what was going on in his future self’s head. She started giggling, too.</p>
<p>“What am I missing?”</p>
<p>He was politely told to, “butt out,” of his own business. Apparently, his future self is a rude one. “Don’t give me that look. You’ll find out soon enough.”</p>
<p>“Very, very soon,” Rose agreed. “You’re gonna love it.”</p>
<p>“I will,” the annoying one added on, nodding. “Oh, go on, Rose. I know you want to.”</p>
<p>“Don’t mind if I do.”</p>
<p>Rose then, to his immense (and continued) surprise, gave him another, longer kiss that ended with her nibbling his bottom lip just a moment before she let go of him. Ignoring his shock, she pranced back over to his future self’s side and ducked below the arm he then wrapped around her waist. He noted her hand resting over his lower belly and nodded. Very interesting indeed.</p>
<p>“You’re gonna have a very good night.” Rose giggled, blushing prettily, and his future self grinned at first her and then him. “Don’t forget to hide this memory.”</p>
<p>“Course.”</p>
<p>“Love you,  Doctor!”</p>
<p>He could only nod. Upon his return to the TARDIS, after shucking his jacket, he spent a moment in his own head, his eyes closed as he focused on hiding his memory. Shame he never figured out what they were hiding from him.</p>
<p>A second passed. Then two.</p>
<p>The Doctor shook his head and frowned. What had he just hidden from himself? Also, why had he hidden anything? He could feel the intangible something right there in the back of his head. Itched like the devil. Must’ve been important and likely something he couldn’t know just yet. Hmm. Interesting.</p>
<p>Oh, well. He’d figure it out later. He strolled over to the console and frowned at the monitor. Strange. What was he doing in London?</p>
<p>“Rose?” he called. “Rose, ya here? Jack?”</p>
<p>That heralded neither of them appearing in the control room. Rose’s jacket wasn’t draped over the railing, either. Holy hell. Had he left them on Kalastrade? The moment he landed, Rose entered the TARDIS and pointed an accusatory finger at him.</p>
<p>“You ditched us! We could have been in trouble for all you knew.”</p>
<p>The Doctor grinned. “Ah, I’d have saved ya, Rose. Always do, don’t I?”</p>
<p>“Guess so,” she said, lips curling. Over the railing went her jacket. “Coulda waited. I'd've gone with you. Where <em>did</em> you go?”</p>
<p>“No idea. TARDIS just wanted to go for a ride, I suppose, but I’m here now and that’s all that matters. Did you have fun? Did you miss me? Where’s Jack?”</p>
<p>“I guess, yes, and on the pull as usual.”</p>
<p>Rose collapsed on the jump seat and pulled his leather jacket over her like a blanket. His amusement fading, he glanced down at his arms. How curious. Why had he taken his jacket off? He’d been wearing it earlier, because he’d been considering venturing out into Kalastrade to find Rose and Jack for a bit of shopping himself. Hmm. Very strange.</p>
<p>She looked so cute under his jacket, though.</p>
<p>Adorable.</p>
<p>Beautiful.</p>
<p>Perfect.</p>
<p>In the time since she first came to live onboard with him, he’d come to love that human, to cherish her even. She made him want to be a better man.</p>
<p>A small smile settling onto his lips, he felt an odd burst of courage and determinedness. He felt like a changed man. No idea why, but it helped. A lot.</p>
<p>Why shouldn’t he make a move on her? Why couldn’t he be happy with her? She was breathtaking and fantastic and amusing and all those wonderful things and he could tell she was attracted to him, as well. Had he had valid reasons for why he shouldn’t? Surely he must’ve. They’ve gone out his head now.</p>
<p>Rose looked up at him in surprise, her phone slipping onto the seat beside her, when he stepped right between her legs. He trailed the back of his fingers down her cheek and she smiled softly, hopefully at him. Slowly, much too slowly so she had ample opportunity to pull away if that was what she wanted, he leaned down and felt joy suffuse his entire chest when she immediately pushed herself up to meet him, her lips pressing to his in a gentle, chaste kiss.</p>
<p>Not that it stayed that way for long. She tasted like chocolate and one part of his mind wondered what she’d been snacking on and if she had more somewhere, but he quickly told himself to shut up and wrapped his arms around her back. When he pulled back to let her breathe since that’s a thing humans have to make an effort to do, not having a respiratory bypass and all, she bunched his jumper in her hands and tugged him right back down.</p>
<p>Well, alright.</p>
<p>His mind accidentally slipped into her own when he lifted a hand to caress her cheek. Abruptly, her future cleared and all he could see was her timeline stretching on and on and on. A moment of terror was chased away by the TARDIS poking at his brain. All of this happened in an instant and Rose seemed confused when he simply could not keep himself from surging closer and hauling her against him for a nearly desperate kiss that left her breathless and gasping for air.</p>
<p>After yet another kiss, this one more joyful than frantic, Rose tilted her mouth towards his ear and he turned enough to hear her whisper, “you’d better stop if you don’t intend to take me to bed, Doctor. It’s not nice to tease.”</p>
<p>Straightening, he held out a hand to her and she took it, seeming confused.</p>
<p>“Yours or mine? We’ve got somethin’ very important to discuss, Rose, but much, much later if I have my way.”</p>
<p>Rose shivered. “You can talk about whatever you want, as long as it really is much, much, <em>much </em>later.”</p>
<p>The Doctor grinned. “Good. Yours or mine?”</p>
<p>“Yours.”</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>When Jack finally returned to the TARDIS, there was no one in the control room and he snorted. Those two must be off pretending they just so happened to be hanging out in the same room in a huge ass ship with probably a bajillion rooms they could each choose from. It was actually sad that neither of them had made a move yet.</p>
<p>With a shrug, he locked the door and then drew up short as he was about to drape his jacket over the railing where he always put it anytime they were on-ship. There on the ground was a box addressed to him. In his own handwriting somehow. Look at him being sneaky.</p>
<p>He grinned to himself, tossed his jacket next to Rose’s, and stooped to pick it up.</p>
<p>Inside was a brand-new vortex manipulator and a letter with strict instructions that he should <em>not</em> use it until an exact date in the future. He really, really was going to have to be patient and fix the one he already had because he’d want to kick his own ass if he used it before that specific date.</p>
<p>“SERIOUSLY, DO NOT USE IT UNTIL THEN” had been written in all caps, gone over at least four times in black pen, and then underlined six times. Six friggin’ times. Seriously.</p>
<p>“Okay,” he muttered to himself. “Jeez. Wasn’t aware I was so bossy.”</p>
<p>Upon finishing the letter from himself, Jack frowned curiously, put the letter back inside the box with the manipulator, and stuffed the whole thing into his coat like he’d told himself to do.</p>
<p>He couldn’t wait to see what that was all about. He didn’t understand why he couldn’t keep the box in a safer location, he didn’t see why he needed a manipulator – two, in fact – when he was living on the TARDIS, and he wasn’t sure why saving Rose from something at a random point far, far, far, far, far in his future – whatever that meant – was so important.</p>
<p>He only knew it’d be legendary.</p>
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